Thomson

It’s a heck of a way to run a pre-election campaign. On the eve of an expected election, politicians usually spend their time playing up good news, downplaying the bad, shaking hands and kissing babies.

No link between aggressive dog breeds, delinquent owners: study

Enzo, an American Pit Bull Terrier, is owned by Taylor Hack of Sherwood Park, Alta, a passionate advocate of the controversial dog breed.

Photograph by: Taylor Hack
, Handout/Postmedia News

People who love tough dogs may be as misunderstood as the animals themselves, if a new academic study is any indication.

Reporting in the journal Anthrozoos, researchers from Canada and the U.K. find an affinity for breeds perceived as aggressive — think Staffordshire bull terriers and boxers — isn't linked to delinquent behaviour, despite stereotypes painting such people as gangbangers, criminals and garden-variety dirtbags.

Furthermore, individuals drawn to such dogs often scored high in conscientiousness (being careful, reliable and mindful of one's actions), belying the notion that aggressive breeds exclusively attract irresponsible people.

In fact, the only cliche that held true was one of anti-social tendencies: folks who were suspicious, unfriendly or competitive were likelier to desire an intimidating dog than their more affable counterparts.

"Individuals with dogs you might call 'weapon dogs' — Rottweilers, pit bulls and other aggressive dogs — may be low on agreeableness but they're not necessarily delinquent, and can actually be quite rule-oriented," says lead author Vincent Egan, a senior lecturer at the University of Leicester.

The study draws on surveys of 235 people, aged 15 to 64, primarily from the U.K., U.S. and Canada.

Overall, low levels of agreeableness, youth, and high conscientiousness all positively predicted preference for a dog perceived as aggressive. But no significant link was uncovered between delinquent behaviour and finding aggressive breeds desirable.

There was also no evidence that such dogs were seen as status markers (macho posturing or a show of dominance), though Egan notes that that possibility shouldn't be discounted. For instance, while a pedigree Labrador would accrue social currency in upscale Britain, a tougher breed would likelier have that effect for owners in the ghetto — people unlikely to have participated in his online study.

"Having a tough dog might only up your credit in places where those breeds are respected," says Egan. "In other places, people will just think you're a lout."

His co-author, B.C.-based psychiatric clinician Jason MacKenzie, says it would be an oversimplification to conclude that "jerks like aggressive dogs," as some media have reported. It's more likely that jerks enable aggression in dogs — though that wasn't tested in this study.

Taylor Hack, a pit bull advocate from Sherwood Park, Alta., says the majority of fellow enthusiasts he encounters match up with the new research: conscientious, law-abiding and responsible. Few fit the dubious stereotype he gently describes as "douchebags who start bar fights."

"I know that demographic is out there," says Hack, a volunteer with Pit Bulls for Life and owner of four dogs, including an American pit bull terrier. "But most of the people I see through the rescue society are the right people."

The link between personality and breed preference has been the subject of many investigations, scientific and otherwise. A University of California study found that when people buy a dog, they "seek one that, on some level, resembles them."

A West Virginia University researcher concluded that dog breeds reveal their owners' outlook on the world and perceived place in society.

As well, Klooff, a new iPhone app for pet lovers, just released a survey of 1,000 people in which women were 10 times likelier to see a man who owns a pit bull as "slimy" or "sketchy" than one who owns a Siberian husky.

But Leicester's Egan says this latest study shows "assumptions are not the whole picture."

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.